Nephele Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Punctum - "Spot" Hahaha! Truly a classic dog name, as even Ovid includes a Greek "Spot" among Actaeon's hounds in his Metamorphoses: "Sticte". -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustus Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Punctum - "Spot" Salve - No where did I see one named Rover; but. . . a dog that roves (roams?) a lot isn't very convenient or family friendly, perhaps. What would the Latin equivalent be for a Rover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Punctum - "Spot" Salve - No where did I see one named Rover; but. . . a dog that roves (roams?) a lot isn't very convenient or family friendly, perhaps. What would the Latin equivalent be for a Rover? Rover is yet another classic dog name. In his translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, Charles Martin gives "Ridge Rover" for Actaeon's hound named Oribasos. There is also a "Rover" (as translated by classicist E.S. Foster) listed in Xenophon's Kynegetikos ("On Hunting with Dogs"). Polus or Poleus is the dog's name, but I didn't include Xenophon's dogs in my list as I limited my list to names of dogs from Roman writers, or from people writing about the Romans. As for a direct Latin translation of "Rover" for a dog... I guess "Vagator" (meaning "rover; tramp") would be a good choice. D. Herbert Abei of Loyola University wrote an abridged, Latin translation of Disney's Lady and the Tramp titled Domina et Vagator, for The Classical Journal (January 1956). Getting back to "Spot" -- there were a couple of cognomina for humans meaning "Spot" (or "spotted"): Macatus and Macula. Since dogs throughout history have frequently been named after people, presumably these cognomina could have been given to dogs, as well. -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASCLEPIADES Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 What did the ancient Romans name their four-legged best friends? Gratiam Habeo for that excellent post (as always), Lady N. For comparison purposes, here is the list of the most popular pet names on the 2007 veterinarian survey of ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): 1. Max 2. Sam 3. Lady 4. Bear 5. Smokey 6. Shadow 7. Kitty 8. Molly 9. Buddy 10. Brandy 11. Ginger 12. Baby 13. Misty 14. Missy 15. Pepper 16. Jake 17. Bandit 18. Tiger 19. Samantha 20. Lucky 21. Muffin 22. Princess 23. Maggie 24. Charlie 25. Sheba 26. Rocky 27. Patches 28. Tigger 29. Rusty 30. Buster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Gratiam Habeo for that excellent post (as always), Lady N. For comparison purposes, here is the list of the most popular pet names on the 2007 veterinarian survey of ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): Thank you, Asclepiades. And thank you also for the top dog names list. Now, I charge you with the mission of translating each of those names into plausible Latin (or Greek) names for Roman dogs! -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 (edited) Notwithstanding your excellent research, Asclepiades, when I read those names, I do feel sorry for poor pooches everywhere. A cat would die of shame to have a name like that! (Well - mine would, anyway....) However, I can't be too critical - as I actually named the only dog I possessed 'Max'. Edited October 25, 2007 by The Augusta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASCLEPIADES Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Gratiam Habeo for that excellent post (as always), Lady N. For comparison purposes, here is the list of the most popular pet names on the 2007 veterinarian survey of ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): Thank you, Asclepiades. And thank you also for the top dog names list. Now, I charge you with the mission of translating each of those names into plausible Latin (or Greek) names for Roman dogs! 1. maximus 2. samuhel 3. domina 4. ursus 5. fumosus 6. umbra 7. catti 8. maria 9. conpotor 10. bacchus 11. subrufus 12. infantulus 13. nebulosus 14. puellula 15. capsicum 16. Iacob 17. latro 18. tigris 19. samuhela 20. fortunatus 21. panis 22. principissa 23. margarita 24. carolus 25. sacramentum 26. petrosus 27. centunculi 28. tiggris 29. aeruginosus 30. domitor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted October 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Gratiam Habeo for that excellent post (as always), Lady N. For comparison purposes, here is the list of the most popular pet names on the 2007 veterinarian survey of ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals): Thank you, Asclepiades. And thank you also for the top dog names list. Now, I charge you with the mission of translating each of those names into plausible Latin (or Greek) names for Roman dogs! 1. maximus 2. samuhel 3. domina 4. ursus 5. fumosus 6. umbra 7. catti 8. maria 9. conpotor 10. bacchus 11. subrufus 12. infantulus 13. nebulosus 14. puellula 15. capsicum 16. Iacob 17. latro 18. tigris 19. samuhela 20. fortunatus 21. panis 22. principissa 23. margarita 24. carolus 25. sacramentum 26. petrosus 27. centunculi 28. tiggris 29. aeruginosus 30. domitor Bravo, Asclepiades! Mission accomplished! *applause* -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Octavius Posted October 25, 2007 Report Share Posted October 25, 2007 Am I being put upon here? Peoples name their dogs 'Bread'? Not Rex? No Basil? No Auggie (Doggie)? How about Killer? No 'Star'? What a pill! My Jack Russells are appalled! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traianus Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 8. maria My sister would be kind of upset to know she has the name of a english-latin translated dog name BTW, I love this ones: domina, latro, tigris, fortunatus, domitor (not their meaning in english but their sound when you pronounce them ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Manicus Posted October 26, 2007 Report Share Posted October 26, 2007 4. ursus Uh, oh ... messing with a Legate? That's a baaaaaaaaaad move, A! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASCLEPIADES Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 (edited) Salve, Lady N Xenophon was certainly no Roman and you probably have read this one before, but as one can never be sure and it may be useful, here comes Cinegetica, (Κυνηγετικός / On Hunting), cp. 7, sec. 5: "Give the hounds short names, so as to be able to call to them easily. The following are the right sort: Psyche, Thymus, Porpax, Styrax, Lonch Edited May 31, 2008 by ASCLEPIADES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted May 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Salve, Lady N Xenophon was certainly no Roman and you probably have read this one before, but as one can never be sure and it may be useful, here comes Cinegetica, (Κυνηγετικός / On Hunting), cp. 7, sec. 5: Yep, I'd seen Xenophon's Cinegetica,, but decided to limit my listing to Roman writers. Here's an on-line translation of Xenophon's Cinegetica by H. G. Dakyns. Dakyns also offers up English translations of the dogs' Greek names, in list format. (Scroll down to VII). Interesting how both Xenophon and Columella gave the same advice, regarding the naming of dogs -- that the dogs should be given names that are short, so that they might recognize their names more quickly and obey when called. -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASCLEPIADES Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Gratiam habeo for that link, Lady N. Note the additional bibliography. "For other names see Herodian, {peri mon. l} (on monosyllables), 12. 7; "Corp. Inscr." iv. p. 184, n. 8319; Arrian, v. 6, xix.; Colum. vii. 12, 13. According to Pollux, v. 47, Xenophon had a dog named {ippokentauros} (cf. "Cyrop." IV. iii. 17). Interesting how both Xenophon and Columella gave the same advice, regarding the naming of dogs -- that the dogs should be given names that are short, so that they might recognize their names more quickly and obey when called. Good advice even for present times. Even so, I guess Columella and later writers were mostly retyping Xenophon and other earlier writers. Consequently, we should expect lots of Greek names among Roman and even medieval canines. I wonder if even Xenophon himself was original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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